Ryan open to talks with Sinn Féin on a coalition
THE Green Party would not rule out being part of a future Sinn Féinled coalition, but negotiating a sufficiently eco-friendly programme for government could prove challenging, party leader Eamon Ryan said yesterday.
The Environment Minister said his party wanted to serve in government again and was open to talking to all parties.
Asked at the Green Party’s annual convention in Cork yesterday if his party would consider a coalition with Sinn Féin, Mr Ryan replied: ‘I think we should go into government because I think it’s not a time for sitting on the bench. It’s time for action this decade, it’s particularly historically important that we make the change this decade.
‘So, yes, I think we should be willing to work with all parties. That will be difficult programme for government negotiations because, to be honest, Sinn Féin haven’t shown an interest in protecting the environment to the extent that we think is appropriate.
‘But we’ll sit down with them and try and make that happen [if Sinn Féin is in a position to form a government].’
The Greens joined Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in coalition government after winning 12 Dáil seats in the 2020 general election.
The party’s poll ratings have fallen in recent times, a trend Mr Ryan attributes to major world events – such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine – diverting focus from global warming.
He said the Greens had suffered due to a temptation to ‘shoot the messenger’ when it came to the challenges of climate change, but was confident his party would fare well in next year’s local elections, insisting the tide would turn again.
Mr Ryan also spoke of the ‘unprecedented’ weather events of the past year and stressed the need for a collective and unified response.
‘The weather systems have gone off the charts and that’s truly frightening,’ Mr Ryan said.
He stressed the Greens did not oppose motorists or farmers, dubbing the latter the ‘front-line heroes’ of the transition towards a more sustainable future.
In comments that could provoke unease among his Coalition partners, who have taken a more circumspect approach to the deepening conflict in the Middle East, the Green leader expressed a strong pro-Palestinian position.
Mr Ryan said: ‘We can deplore what Hamas did while at the same time understanding that there will never be peace unless the rights of the Palestinian people are also delivered upon.’
‘It’s not a time for sitting on the bench’